Destiny's Pawn
by ScarletSecrets1234
Summary: It's been three years since the destruction of the Death Star. Three years since the mission on Corellia, and three years since Serena Solo and Luke Skywalker have admitted their feelings for one another. Now, the Rebellion has moved their base to the ice planet Hoth, and the Empire is closing in. Luke/OC. Follows ESB with AU before ROTJ. Sequel to "Demands of Fate". Part 2 of 3.
1. Three Years Later

_I'm baaaack! This is Destiny's Pawn, the sequel to Demands of Fate! I'm so excited for this part of the story! Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through the first one. I hope you all enjoy this one just as much!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Empire Strikes Back, or any of the original characters of the Star Wars Universe. I only own my OC('s)._

**Chapter 1: Three Years Later**

* * *

Three years.

It had been three years since they escaped Corellia. Three years since Dillon betrayed them, and three years since they returned to the Alliance.

A lot had happened in the few months after they returned to the base. After their injuries were treated, Mon Mothma personally congratulated them on their heroism. She informed them that, despite his complaining after they rescued him, Xandor personally commended their actions on Corellia. Serena knew he still didn't like them, because ever since their rescue she'd only caught glimpses of in the past three years, but she was thankful for what he did for them when they returned.

In addition to Xandor, Leia also supported the group, claiming no one else could have done better. The Princess made a compelling argument to Mon Mothma, who couldn't deny the success of the mission, despite some of the mistakes made. The others just stood there while Mothma seemed to be considering something, still exhausted from their adventure, despite the time they had to rest and recuperate. After noticing this, Leia immediately insisted that they all get some rest, to which Mon Mothma agreed.

After approximately a month, Mon Mothma decided to thank each of them formally in front of the entire Rebellion. The ceremony was very similar to the one after they destroyed the Death Star. Each of the Rebellion's leaders seemed very impressed—so impressed that each one of them was offered a promotion, aside from Leia who was already a prominent figure in the Alliance.

Luke was offered the position of Commander. Everyone knew he deserved it, and cheered loudly as he declared he would accept the honor. He deserved it even before he went on the mission for his rescue of Leia for destroying the Death Star and saving the Alliance. If that wasn't enough of a reason to give him the promotion, he was also brave, and strong, and easily inspired loyalty. Serena remembered how happy he was when he accepted the position as Commander Skywalker, and how proud he was to have a greater impact on the war with the Empire.

Han was made a Captain in the Alliance, which he accepted somewhat reluctantly. He was reluctant to remain with the Rebels ever since Serena told him about their run-in with the bounty hunter Bossk on Corellia. Despite his callous nature, he truly did care about what happened to his sister, Chewbacca, and the others. Serena knew he didn't want to put anyone in danger, despite his claims that he just "wanted to pay Jabba back". She knew he worried about what Jabba would do to them if he wasn't careful, but she figured even the Hutt wouldn't be stupid enough to send a bounty hunter in the Rebel base, if the Hutt even knew where they were. However, in spite of his many attempts to leave, Leia always gave him a reason to stick around a little longer, and Serena doubted he ever would try to leave.

Chewbacca, on the other hand, immediately declined any promotion. He was required by his life-debt to protect Han, and taking a position in the Alliance would distract him from that obligation. Han rolled his eyes at his friend's decision, grumbling that 'he could take care of himself'. Chewbacca just brushed off Han's concern, and remained at his best friend's side.

Wedge also declined any promotion. He didn't want to be stuck watching others fight, or be responsible for anyone. He just wanted to help the Alliance in the best way he knew how: by flying. When Serena asked him about it, he responded with, "I'm going to help the Alliance by doing what I do best—following orders." Since he seemed happy doing just that, she didn't try to change his mind, no matter how worthy of the position she thought he was. She was glad Wedge was happy with whatever he decided to do.

Finally, Serena was offered a position as a Lieutenant, which she accepted eagerly. She was honored that the Alliance trusted her enough to offer her a position, even though she had only recently joined. It certainly wasn't a huge promotion, but she was thankful nonetheless. She never imagined that she would rank in the Alliance, and it was humbling having people look to her for orders, even if she only had a few under her command. Despite having the position for many years now and the surprising amount of work accompanying the position, she still smiled a bit every time someone called her 'Lieutenant Solo'.

She could only imagine how much pressure Luke was under. A Commander was responsible for more soldiers, meaning he had more people depending on him to make the right decisions. She barely had any time on her hands, but somehow they both managed to make time for each other, spending most of their free time together. Even with their busy schedules, they still found a way to make the best of the time offered to them, and their relationship had lasted three years, but it moved slowly. It felt like they barely saw each other anymore.

Despite barely seeing him, she didn't care. She lo—liked Luke and was willing to suffer through their busy schedules. She shook her head, flushing. She had almost slipped up earlier as well. Even though they had been together for three years now, she didn't want to assume anything. Since they barely saw each other, they took their relationship slow, because they didn't have much of a choice. She was too afraid to tell him how she truly felt about him-how she always had to catch her breath when he would simply brush past her, or when leaned in to kiss her, or how her heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her.

She shook her head, forcing herself to return to her duties.

A few months after their promotions, the Alliance had to move their base again. The Empire finally managed locate their base. Fortunately, the spies the Rebels had in the Empire managed to warn them in time to evacuate. It was Leia's idea to go to the ice-planet Hoth. The planet was completely unoccupied, due to its harsh climate. However, she doubted the Empire would think to search for the Rebels there.

Leia was right.

Three years later and the Empire had no idea where the Rebel Alliance was located. Leia chose their new destination well. Serena hadn't had a lot of free time, however, as the Alliance truly was spread very thin. She had to help Luke, as she ranked below him, in keeping everyone under their command busy.

Starting last month, Han finally had enough of waiting around and decided to try and finally finish repairing the _Falcon_. There had been an unfortunate training accident about a month ago that left the _Falcon_ in bad condition. Han and Chewie repaired most of it, but the ship still wouldn't run. Her brother was determined to change that, however, and then leave the planet, much to her, Leia, and Luke's irritation. She was getting worried that Han was getting serious about leaving. After three years here, she had grown attached to the Rebels, especially Luke and Leia. She knew if Han did leave, she wouldn't know who to choose.

Han was working on the _Falcon_ right now, while Serena was finally able to take some time off and see Luke. Luke planned this night a month in advance, and she was excited. It had been a few weeks since they'd been able to take time off and see each other, not counting the many times they saw each other when they were working. She made her way to his room, where they agreed to meet, smiling as she made her way in. She walked in...to see him in his snow suit.

"Luke?" She asked, looking at him dejectedly.

He turned around, looking guilty. She knew what was coming. He'd done this to her a lot lately—but she'd also done it to him a few times. The Rebellion needed someone to scout the area, and Luke was chosen for this patrol. She could tell he was exhausted, but she knew he wouldn't complain. He never refused the Alliance, and while it could be irritating, his loyalty was commendable. Everyone was overworked, and it was only fair that he did his part, as well.

Still, Serena couldn't say she wasn't upset. She was hoping they would be able to see each other, like old times before their promotions. She felt like there was never enough time anymore, and she was getting tired of it. It was times like these that made her wish he was still a simple pilot.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair and looking upset, "Serena—"

"You have to go scouting, right?" She said calmly, not wanting to show her disappointment.

"I—Yeah. They did this at the last minute. I'm sorry, but...you know I have to."

"Yeah, I know."

He just stared at her for a minute, feeling terrible. He knew she understood, but he could tell she wasn't happy about it. Truth be told, he wasn't either. He wanted to stay with her, and enjoy the evening, but he took his position seriously.

He moved towards her, opening his mouth to make more excuses, but he wasn't able to come up with any. He felt terrible, seeing that disappointed look on her face. He knew she was looking forward to this night—so was he. Still, when General Rieekan approached him and told Luke he was assigned for scouting tonight, he wasn't able to say no. The General was an understanding man, but Luke doubted he would let Luke get out of scouting because he had a date.

He looked at Serena. He knew she wasn't angry with him, but couldn't help feeling guilty. Her brown eyes were downcast, and she seemed a lot smaller. He noticed she was shaking a bit from the cold temperature, even though she was dressed warmly.

He couldn't resist, even though he knew he had to head out soon. He gently pulled her toward him, and she relaxed in his embrace.

Luke was so warm, especially in his snow suit. She could smell caffa on the suit, and knew he'd been drinking it just before she entered. She knew he must have seen her shivering, and being the gentleman he was, wanted to warm her before he left. This was why she cared so much for Luke. He was always so sweet.

After a moment, she reluctantly stepped out of his embrace, and smiled softly, "You should probably get going."

He nodded, "I probably should." But as he moved to step past her he couldn't resist moving in and kissing her. Serena was stunned for a moment, but that moment quickly passed and she returned the kiss.

The room was cold—all of Hoth was cold—but as soon as their lips met the temperature seemed to spike up several degrees. He meant for it to be a simple kiss, but Serena seemed to sense his expectations and quickly reacted. She responded eagerly, effectively changing Luke's mind as he gave in to her wishes. It had been too long since they were able to do this, and they were both reluctant to end it quickly.

His lips were chapped, and she could feel their roughness upon hers. Even though she kissed him many times, she always felt as if it was their first. She gasped into his mouth, and it seemed as if the moment would never end. His hands were on her hips, keeping her pressed against him, as if he was afraid she would let go and leave him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him securely against her, assuring him that she never intended to. Even though she was disappointed in Luke a few moments ago, that was completely forgotten after his lips met hers. Serena felt lightheaded, and she didn't know whether it was from the _way_ he was kissing her or the length of their kiss—probably both.

Eventually, the moment ended and they pulled apart, with Serena leaning against him for support, still feeling the effects of their kiss. Nobody had ever made her feel the way he did. Luke seemed disoriented as well, simply staring at her as if he never wanted to leave.

Her cheeks flushed, she barely managed to whisper, "Don't you have to be somewhere?" She smiled, letting him know all was forgiven. After _that_ kiss, she was willing to let this slide.

Luke, his blue eyes still staring at her intently, sighed, "Right. Just one more thing."

He kissed her once more, though it was over before she could react, and quickly made his way out the door before it got out of hand once again. She laughed as he walked out the door, determined to finally go scouting. He was a few minutes late, and Serena wondered what the General's reaction would be, and what Luke's excuse would be. She should have felt guilty for making him late, but somehow, she just couldn't. This would be her payback for missing their date.

After a moment, she left the room as well, heading in the opposite direction. She decided that since her free time would be spent alone, she might as well return to helping the Rebellion. The former smuggler decided looking for Leia in the Command Center would be her best bet at finding something to occupy her time.

It did not take long for her to find the Command Center. As always, it was filled with Rebels, all dutifully working despite their exhaustion. A few droids scurried past her through the still opened door, almost knocking her over. She quickly moved out of the way, and searched for Leia. The Princess wasn't hard to spot, despite the large crowd of people. Serena quickly made her way to her friend.

As she approached Leia, the Princess kept her attention on the monitor in front of her. Only when Serena cleared her throat did Leia acknowledge her.

"Serena! Sorry—didn't see you there." Leia shook her head, seeming tired, but she looked at the Lieutenant curiously, "Weren't you supposed to be with Luke?"

"Yeah." She replied somewhat sadly, "But he was assigned to scout out the perimeters of the base, so I decided to come here and help you."  
Leia looked at Serena in concern, "I appreciate the offer, but I think you should take advantage of your time off. You deserve it."

Serena shook her head, "No, Leia. Honestly, I'm fine. I'd rather help you here."

Leia rolled her eyes at the girl's stubbornness, but didn't argue further. She knew it would be pointless and a waste of time. Serena immediately went to work after their conversation, determined to keep herself occupied.

It kept her distracted, but every so often her mind wandered to Luke. The weather was getting worse here all the time, and it was getting more dangerous than ever to scout. She knew he was capable, but couldn't stop worrying about him. She would never forgive herself for letting him go without her if something happened.

She had been working diligently for at least a half hour before she heard her brother's voice, "...there's a price on my head. If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man."

She frowned. So Han was planning on leaving? _Now_? She honestly didn't think he would do that. Without even letting her know in advance? Did he think she was just going to drop everything and leave with him? She couldn't do that. She'd worked so hard for the Rebellion.

General Rieekan seemed disappointed by the news, as well, "A death mark's not an easy thing to live with. You're a good fighter, Solo, and your sister is a damn good Lieutenant. I'd hate to lose you two."

_You're not going to_. Serena thought, determined.

Han nodded, "Thank you, General." Though he tried to keep his attention on the General, his eyes kept flickering over to where Leia was working.

Serena glanced over to Leia, who looked upset about the news. The Princess stared at Han when he turned away, and Serena swore she saw hurt in that gaze before Leia quickly masked it into irritation. Leia looked like she was considering something before she stormed up to Han.

Han seemed pleased she cared enough to approach him, "Well, your Highness, I guess this is it."

Serena could see the anger in Leia's eyes and almost felt bad for Han before she remembered she was angry with him too, "That's right."

Han's cocky expression faded at Leia's anger, "Well, don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess."

Before he left the room, though, there was one last person he needed to talk to. He spotted Serena not far off, glaring at him. He frowned, this conversation wouldn't be pleasant.

Serena saw Han walk in her direction, but returned her attention to the monitor, ignoring him. She knew he saw her glaring but didn't care. He was just going to abandon everything they worked so hard for. Did he even care that she was happy here? Did he even care about Leia? Or Luke?

"Hey, sis."

She continued to ignore him, keeping her attention fixed on the console. However, Han wouldn't just give up. He simply stood there until she finally sighed and acknowledged him, "Han."

He rolled his eyes, "I know you were listening to me and the Princess back there."

She still didn't look at him, but responded, "And?"

"And you know we gotta get outta here."

She rolled her eyes, and turned to face him, "You really think I'm going with you?"

Han's eyes widened. She never spoke to him like this before. Honestly, he hadn't even considered the possibility she wouldn't go with him. He knew she would be angry, but she always stood by his side, and he was doing this to protect her and Chewie. Didn't she get that?

He realized he just stared at her for awhile in shock, and she glared back, "Oh, come on, sis. I know you're angry, but—"

"I just can't believe you, sometimes. Why didn't you tell me?" She cut him off, some of her anger deflating as she asked the question.

He was thrown by the question. She knew he wanted to leave, he just didn't tell her the exact date, "Why does it matter? You knew we were leavin', eventually. We just stayed here a little longer than we usually do."

"That's the problem, Han!" She shouted, causing a few of the nearby Rebels to turn their attention to the siblings, "I _can't_ just leave anymore. They need us—both of us!"

He rolled his eyes, "If this is about the kid, then why don't you just bring him along?"

She glared, "You don't get it, Han. We can't just leave these people. I'm a Lieutenant, and Luke's a Commander. You know he'd never leave."

"They'll find someone else to take over. We gotta pay off Jabba or he'll be on our tails forever."

"Do you even care about Leia?" Serena whispered, and Han stiffened at the question. She'd obviously brought up the wrong topic. He looked irritated now, no doubt remembering how the Princess acted as if she didn't care he was leaving. Before he thought about what he was saying he responded.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, sis. We're leavin' as soon as the _Falcon's_ finished. If you wanna come—fine. If not—well, no skin off my back."

She felt her heart sink at those words. Would he really leave all of them behind? She knew he loved her, even though he'd never say it out loud. It was one of those unspoken things she just knew. He always looked out for her, ever since their father died—and even before that, if she was being honest. He obviously wanted her to come, and some part of her wanted to just drop everything and go with him. Still, she knew she just couldn't anymore. She'd gotten in too deep, and some time in these last three years, the Rebellion had become important to her. She actually believed they could make a difference. Was she willing to give that up so she wouldn't lose her brother? Or Chewie? She couldn't imagine life without them.

She felt like she was going to cry, as she watched Han storm out of the Control Room. Leia watched Han leave, as well, before looking at Serena. Without hesitation, the Princess approached Serena.

"Are you alright?" Leia asked, looking both concerned for Serena, and furious with Han.

Serena let out a shaky laugh, "Honestly...no. I think I'm going to take advantage of that break after all." She walked away from Leia quickly. Determined to get out of there as quickly as possible. She needed time to think and sort this all out.

Leia watched Serena exit the room, and clenched her jaw. Han must not have gotten too far. She knew she couldn't just let him leave after everything he did for the Rebellion. Without another thought or word, she turned and ran after Han, determined to change his mind.

* * *

_Finally Chapter 1 is done. So sorry it was late. Clearly, everything did _not _go as I planned, and I was suddenly too busy. (And if I'm honest, I wasn't really busy this week, but I've gotten obsessed with Supernatural, so that's to blame for the lateness, as well. :P). Still, sorry this chapter's a little short. I hope you like it, regardless. I made sure to include a little Luke/Serena to make up for the delay! Thanks to everybody for reading! :) If you liked it (or didn't), why not leave a review? ;)_


	2. Trouble

_I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to write. I couldn't find the words to write what I wanted to describe and consistently had to rewrite it. Plus, I barely had time to write it as I had to write a research paper, reconstruct a cat skeleton, and other addition to that, we've had a lot of graduation events planned so I was super busy. You'd think teachers would slow down this time of year, but they've just piled up the work. :( Hopefully in the summer I'll be able to update a lot faster than I do now. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, but I doubt it's my best. I'm so sorry about that :(_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just own my OC('s)._

**Chapter 2: Trouble**

* * *

Serena raced through the halls, her eyes downcast and her head swimming. Her argument with Han had bothered her more than she realized, and she'd realized it quite a bit earlier. It felt like he tore a piece out of her heard when he said he didn't care. Why didn't he care?

The fact that he was actually threatening to leave her behind stung more than she would admit. Still, despite her anger towards him, she was still reluctant to let him leave without her. He forced her to choose between the Alliance and him, and though she'd always chosen family over everything before, this was different.

She actually felt like she mattered here—like she was making the galaxy a better place. With Han, she was always happy and carefree, but she knew she wouldn't feel that way if she left the Alliance. Even thinking about abandoning her responsibilities made her feel guilty. She just couldn't do it. And she had to think about Leia, and Luke.

_Especially Luke_.

She didn't want to leave him. He'd become as important to her as Han and Chewbacca. The thought of leaving him was too painful, though the thought of leaving Han was equally terrible. She didn't know what to do—either way she was disappointing the people closest to her.

She saw Leia run after Han, no doubt attempting to reason with the smuggler. Serena knew if anyone could convince the smuggler to stay with the Rebellion, it'd be Leia. While Han would never admit it, Serena knew he was attracted to the strong willed Princess. They both butted heads frequently—at least on a daily basis, but Serena and Luke both knew the two felt more than frustration and irritation towards one another. Practically the whole base knew. She knew that, despite Han's constant complaints about Leia, he would miss her too.

She and Leia had become a lot closer, as well, in the last few months, and she realized she would miss Leia almost as much. Even though Leia was very opinionated, Serena actually found it helpful that Leia stood by her opinion and beliefs, even though she could occasionally take her argument too far. Leia was very intelligent and a natural leader, and she was helpful to Serena as she adjusted to her new position as Lieutenant. Serena hoped Leia or _something_ would happen to keep her brother and Chewie at the base.

She would come to regret that thought.

* * *

Leia raced after Han, furious. How dare he leave now? Did he really not care that he was hurting his sister? Didn't he care that he was leaving behind his friends? The smuggler stormed ahead, ignoring her completely as she shouted his name. Typically, Han didn't seem to care she was angry. Despite the smuggler's unresponsiveness, she continued to follow him, determined to confront him, and hopefully change his mind.

"Han!" She continued shouting, until the smuggler eventually stopped and turned to face her.

"Yes, your Highness?" He responded mockingly.

"I thought you decided to stay." Her tone was accusing, and she crossed her arms as she usually did when she was frustrated, "That's what you told all of us. Your sister only accepted the position because she thought you were going to be here by her side!"

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind." He remembered how quick and unexpected the attack was. He, Chewie, and Serena were assigned to get supplies from the small world of Ord Mantell. He hadn't expected anything exciting to happen, but they could never quite catch a break.

* * *

_"Come on. The sooner we get this cargo onto the _Falcon_ the sooner we can leave this dump of a planet_." _Han ordered, attempting to speed up his sister and Chewbacca's progress. He had a bad feeling that he couldn't ignore, no matter how hard he tried. So far, the mission had been a success. They made the successful trade and were on their way. He didn't know why he was so anxious, but he continued to follow his instincts. They were usually right._

_ Serena glared, tired of her brother's orders, "You know, I didn't have to help you."_

_ She didn't. Serena was very busy with the Alliance ever since she'd gotten her promotion. Han barely got to see her because of her busy schedule. He was happy for his sister, but actually missed her, even though she could be a pain. It wasn't the same when it was just Chewie and him. Because she missed him too, Serena requested some time off, and instead of using her vacation days to relax, she'd gone with him and Chewie on a simple smuggling mission. It was a lot like before they went to Tatooine and got tangled up in the Rebellion. Han actually missed those days. He liked being free to make his own decisions, and wandering the galaxy exploring new planets. He didn't mind the Rebellion, but he wasn't nearly as committed to it as his sister was. Chewie didn't care either way, as long as he remained at the Solo siblings' sides. _

_ Han knew his sister wasn't too fond of smuggling missions. Sshe only came with them to spend time together like they used to. However, Ord Mantell was not a friendly planet, and she wasn't enjoying the trip._

_ "I should've just taken that vacation." She grumbled, as she lifted one of the final crates. Chewbacca heard her complain and simply shook his head. They all knew that, while she complained, she wouldn't trade spending time with her family for the world._

_ Han was relieved. When Chewie dropped the final crate in the _Falcon,_ he wasted no time in ordering them to get on the ship. The sooner they left, the less chance they would get into trouble._

_ Unfortunately for Han, as they were about to enter the ship, Han heard the sound of voices in the distance. Listening closely, he could hear at least five people approaching them. He knew these people were bad news as soon as he heard the voices._

_ "Quick! Get inside the _Falcon_!" He shouted, and the two were close enough to the entrance that they could easily escape the bounty hunters before they even saw them. Han, on the other hand, was not so lucky. When he attempted to run to the ship, he was stopped by a barrage of blaster bolts. He wasn't very far from the _Falcon_, but he knew he had no chance of running into the ship without getting shot or captured. These bounty hunters were much better shots than those stormtroopers. Fortunately, they hadn't seen Serena or Chewbacca, so he hoped that if things went badly for him, they could at least escape and avoid capture._

_ Still, Han had to think of something, or he was going right back to Jabba. No doubt Chewie and Serena were waiting in the ship anxiously, ready to exit and help him when he made a move. He wondered if their help would be enough._

_ After a long pause, their leader spoke, "Sssolo. Jabba's been looking for you." _

_ Han knew that voice anywhere. It was Bossk, the same bounty hunter who attacked Serena and Luke while he was in the Imperial prison. The Trandoshan bounty hunter looked intimidating due to his great bulk and height. He dwarfed the other bounty hunters at his side. Han took the time to inspect each of them, and realized that these were mostly hirelings. They didn't look experienced, but they all looked tough. He'd bet money they were all found in the local cantina. Since they weren't trained bounty hunters, Han doubted Bossk would let them live to split the payment. That gave him an idea._

_ "Bossk," He began calmly, moving out of cover. The instant he appeared the hirelings all pointed their blasters at him. He hoped his plan would work. The smuggler caught a glimpse of Serena and Chewie slowly moving to peek out from the entrance of the _Falcon_. He quickly shook his head at them, hoping the bounty hunters would not notice. If this plan went wrong, he wanted them to be able to escape, and he hoped they would take the opportunity to do so._

_ "You have nowhere to run, Sssolo. It would be best if you sssurrendered." The Trandoshan hissed._

_ "I'm not plannin' on dying today, Bossk. Take me away." He extended his hands out to allow them to place the binders._

_ The bounty hunters looked confused, and he could only imagine how angry Chewie and his little sister would be. He just hoped they didn't try anything. He didn't want to risk their lives._

_ One of the hirelings approached him, an angry looking man with tattoos covering his arms. He certainly looked threatening, and he was perfect for Han's plan._

_ "Y'know, if you took me in yourself, you wouldn't have to split the bounty." The smuggler whispered, as the man placed the binders on his wrists. The bounty hunter looked intrigued by the idea, like he would have never thought of it on his own. Han wasn't surprised._

_ Still, the man looked hesitant as he glanced at Bossk, so Han spoke again, "He's been plannin' to kill you or leave you behind as soon as you bring me to him. You can't trust him."_

_ "Whadda _you_ know?" The man hissed back. He snarled and brought himself to his full height._

_ "I've met him before. I know how he works." Han stated, matter-of-factly._

_ "Bring the sssmuggler to me." Bossk commanded, impatient, but the man looked furious by the time he was ready to turn in the smuggler._

_ "I don't think so." He gritted his teeth furiously, showing off rows of dirty blackened teeth, "Bossk's plannin' to turn in this one without us, boys."_

_ The other 'bounty hunters' looked at their leader furiously, and Bossk's expression betrayed him. He was not confused;, he just looked furious. That only angered the other bounty hunters more. They all turned to face the Trandoshan, who seemed to know his alliance was falling apart at the seams. Han's captor loosened his grip on the smuggler due to his focus on Bossk. Han was glad his plan was working as planned so far, but he couldn't break free just yet. He just had to wait for the right opportunity._

_ He didn't have to wait long. One of the bounty hunters rushed at Bossk, intent upon taking him down quickly. Bossk easily dodged the attack and blasted the bounty hunter down. While the other hirelings looked intimidated, it did not stop them from rushing at the former leader. Han's guard still remained, though he looked eager to fight. _

_ Bossk was more skillful than Han imagined. The bounty hunter easily dodged the multiple opponents swings, leading Han to confirm that these men were not trained hunters, but amateurs attempting to make easy money. Despite being outnumbered, Bossk had the advantage. He continued bringing his men down, and eventually Han's guard had no choice but to join the battle. However, before he left, he punched Han right in the face and ordered him to "Stay down"._

_ Han hit the floor, and groaned as he attempted to stand. The man had a good punch and Han was still a bit delirious from it. He didn't know if he could get up. He hadn't anticipated that the hired bounty hunter would think to make sure he stayed. That was his mistake, and one he was paying for now as he felt the pain._

_ He heard a loud roar, and felt someone pick him up and race back in the direction of the _Falcon_. Whatever picked him up was hairy and tall, and Han instantly relaxed when he realized who it was. Chewbacca had risked capture to save him._

_ When he was brought into the ship, Chewie immediately handed him off to Serena, and rushed to the cockpit. Serena dragged him over to a seat and fastened him in. Han groaned once more and grabbed his head, now feeling the headache he would have for a few days._

_ Serena sighed, relaxing significantly, "That was too close."_

_ He nodded, feeling sick, and not just from the head injury. He never thought Jabba's bounty hunters would be so persistent, even after three years. Clearly, the bounty had increased enough to encourage the bounty hunters to search for him again, and Han hated that he wasn't as careful as he used to be. He just risked his sister and best friend for a small amount of cargo. He wouldn't make that mistake again._

_ As the _Millennium Falcon_ entered lightspeed, Han knew what he had to do._

* * *

Ever since that day he thought about leaving. He took the first opportunity to do so, which happened to be now. Serena would hopefully understand that before he left, and would decide to come with him to pay off Jabba.

"Han, we need you!" Leia's comment brought the smuggler back to the present.

"We?" He asked, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her.

She crossed her arms, looking irritated, "Yes."

"What about 'you need'?" He smirked, looking at her knowingly.

She looked confused, "I need? I don't know what you're talking about."

He frowned, tired of trying to get her to admit her feelings, "You probably don't."

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?"

Han threw his hands in the air, "Come on!" He said, sounding frustrated, "You _want_ me to stay because of the way you feel about me!"

Leia nodded, sounding like she was attempting to pacify him, "Yes. You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader—"

"No! That's not it! Come on!" He moved closer to her, and she looked right back, unflinchingly. He pointed to her knowingly, "Come on."

Leia finally understood what he was implying, and rolled her eyes before she scoffed, "You're imagining things."

"Am I? Then why are you following me?" He was about to continue, but she interrupted.

"Because I know you don't want to leave this all behind!" Leia argued, but he ignored that comment, and continued as if she hadn't interrupted.

"Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

She looked furious at his suggestion, and spat out, "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee!"

"I can arrange that!" Han scoffed and stormed off, finished with their conversation, "You could use a good kiss!"

Leia simply stared where he left, frozen and furious. That smuggler affected her more than she'd ever admit. She couldn't stop thinking about what he said. Did he really want her to feel that way about him? Or was it his way of deflecting her questions? Either way, he knew how to throw her off and deflect her questions. It didn't help that she actually found him attractive, and—

She froze—where did that come from? Clearly, she was tired and not thinking clearly. She left the corridor and decided to find Serena before turning in for the night.

* * *

Serena frowned when she realized what time it was. Luke's shift was over. She wondered if he got caught up in other things. It wouldn't surprise her. She knew his schedule was busier than her schedule so she hadn't thought much of it, but after patrol he would usually relax. He hadn't even checked in. Serena immediately felt guilty that she hadn't noticed he was missing earlier, as she had been too caught up in thinking about her brother.

She immediately searched for Leia. Maybe Luke just forgot to check in. The patrols were usually exhausting and occasionally someone out on one would forget to check in. She figured that was what happened, but she decided to check just in case something went wrong.

As she raced down the corridors, she barely noticed any of the Rebels who passed her. She was determined to find Leia before the base closed the doors for the night. She hoped Leia finished talking with Han—Serena didn't want to face him right now. She didn't even want to think about him; her sadness had faded to be replaced with anger. How dare he—

Her angry thoughts were interrupted by Leia calling out her name, "Serena!"

Serena walked up to Leia, noticing the Princess who just entered the corridor. Leia moved closer to Serena and looked furious. She began speaking, "Your brother drives me insane."

Serena nodded, "He drives everyone insane." She felt the familiar surge of anger when she thought about him, but pushed that issue aside. There was a more important issue to address, "Enough about Han. Have you seen Luke? He hasn't reported in yet."  
She frowned, "No I haven't. He probably just forgot to check in, but we can check just to make sure."

Leia entered the control room, followed closely by Serena. They scanned the room for any sign of Luke, but no one had seen the Commander since he left for his patrol. They even went to the hanger where Luke exited the base, and the Rebel who guarded the door hadn't seen him since he left. Luke hadn't been heard of for awhile.

The guard spoke, "We haven't seen any sign of Commander Skywalker. If he doesn't get back soon, we'll have to close the doors on him."

Serena felt a lump in her throat. Luke wouldn't just not report back on time. This only meant one thing, and she dreaded to think about it.

Luke was missing.

* * *

_Finally this chapter's finished. It was supposed to be longer, and I'm sorry it's short. I just couldn't write this chapter and it got so frustrating that I just decided to end it a little earlier so you could all read something. I hope you enjoy it! :) Thanks for reading, and if you don't mind, why not leave a quick review? ;)_


	3. Into the Blizzard

_I'm sorry I didn't put up the chapter last week. Graduation week was waaaay too busy to even attempt to write. However, this is a lot earlier than I usually update. Thanks to all of you for the amazing feedback! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, George Lucas does. However, I do own my OC('s)._

* * *

**Chapter 3: Into the Blizzard**

Han fumed silently as he proceeded to attempt to repair the _Falcon_. He was tired of hearing complaints, tired of hearing them assume he was leaving to 'save his skin', tired of his sister, and Leia, and the damn Rebellion. All they seemed to care about was their 'cause'. He was tired of hearing about the Rebellion's plans and waiting for Jabba to strike next. He just wanted things to be simple again.

His angry thoughts were interrupted as he heard something crash over where Chewbacca was working. The wookiee was struggling with repairing the central lifters, and decided the best choice would be to tear them out. He could tell his best friend was irritated, and Han knew that the wookiee was also somewhat angry with him, which caused the already irritated smuggler to shout, "Why'd you take this apart now? I'm tryin' to get us outta here and you pull both of these!"

Chewie grumbled, tired of being on the receiving end of Han's temper. Han ignored the wookiee's grumbling, knowing if he listened he would snap at his friend, and he didn't want to anger the only person on his side.

Fortunately, Han didn't have to worry about snapping at the wookiee, because he was distracted as Threepio and Artoo both approached. Chewie could hear their bickering as they neared the frustrated smuggler.

"Excuse me?" Threepio questioned, and Chewie watched as Han grimaced at having to face the protocol droid. He clearly wasn't in the mood to speak to the droid.

Han simply ignored the initial question, and continued speaking to Chewie in the hopes of avoiding a conversation with the golden droid, "Put them back together right now."

"Might I have a word with you please?" Threepio cut in again, and Han let out a frustrated sigh.

"What do you want?" He responded, unwelcomingly.

Threepio was oblivious to Han's attitude and delivered his message, "Well, it's Princess Leia and your sister. They've been trying to get you on the communicator."

Han rolled his eyes. Did they really not understand he was ignoring them? He answered Threepio, "That's because I turned it off. I don't wanna talk to them."

"Oh." The protocol droid seemed thrown off for a moment, but quickly recovered, "Well, they were wondering about Master Luke. He hadn't come back yet. They don't know where he is."

Han's eyes widened at that news. The last he'd seen of the kid was hours ago when he left to investigate something he'd found. Han assumed that Luke would be fine. After all, there hadn't been anything out there earlier. He must've forgotten to let them know he was back, though Han suddenly had a horrible feeling that wasn't the case. He decided to respond, "I don't know where he is."

"Nobody knows where he is."

Again, that horrible feeling returned in full force, "What do you mean 'nobody knows?"

* * *

Serena bit her lip nervously, wondering about her brother's reaction to the news. She hoped Han would at least speak to Threepio and Artoo. This was more important than their fight, and she knew Han wouldn't let Luke suffer simply because he was angry with his sister and Leia. However, what she didn't know was if he would even listen to the droids when they told him the news. She moved to the south entrance, knowing that if Han came to help, this was where he would go. The Lieutenant held on to the slim hope that Luke would burst through the doors at any second now, and reassure her that she worried for nothing. She would be angry with him for returning so late, but it would be better than the alternative.

She wished Leia would have waited with her, but after their initial failures of contacting Han, Leia decided to leave to search for Threepio and Artoo, hoping they could get through to Han through the droids. Serena kept calling her brother after Leia left, but she finally gave up. He wasn't going to answer her now. Still, it would have been nice to be with someone right now. It would have made her feel a little better.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a voice, "Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in through the south entrance. He might have forgotten to check in."

"Not likely. Are the speeders ready?'

_That's Han!_ She recognized the second voice and moved towards the men. Sure enough, she saw her brother and two other officers speaking. Han's back was towards her, and she was relieved she wouldn't have to face him right away.

"Not yet." The man responded, not seeing Serena, though his assistant greeted her with a nod, "We're having trouble adapting them to the cold."

"Then we'll have to go out on Tauntauns." Han said, turning around and almost crashing into his sister. There was an awkward pause for a few moments before Han simply walked past her, content to ignore her. She frowned and followed him anyway.

The deck officer cleared his throat, attempting to gain Han's attention and reason with the smuggler, "Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly."

Han whirled around and the deck officer almost crashed into the smuggler. Her brother seemed determined, "Yeah, and my friend's out in it."

Serena moved forward, "Han, if you're going, I'm coming too."

He frowned, "No, you're not. Stay here."

"And why can't I? I care about Luke too, and I don't want to lose either of you out there." Even if she was angry with him, Han was still her brother and she still loved him. She wouldn't—couldn't wait here while her brother and Luke were out alone in the cold. What if something happened to Han? She didn't know if she could handle losing the both of them.

Han's expression softened, just a bit. Even though he'd been ignoring her, she knew he still cared, "You're not coming. It's too dangerous."

"So why are you going?" She rolled her eyes, "Han, I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Can't you just listen to me for once? Stay here."

"No." She said, stubbornly. She wondered if she would be so stubborn with him if they hadn't fought earlier. She didn't want to back down, and Han knew it would be a waste of time to argue with her. They had to save Luke, so he reluctantly caved in.

He glared, hating to give in to the argument, but the kid needed them, "Fine. We're just wasting time arguing about it anyway. Just stay close and don't do anything stupid."

She returned his glare, "Wouldn't dream of it."

They both moved towards the last two remaining Tauntauns, and just as they were about to head out, the deck officer ran up to them, determined to make them change their minds, "Your Tauntauns will freeze before you reach the first marker!"

Han began moving, and Serena followed closely to ensure he wouldn't try to keep her shut in the base, "Then we'll see you in hell!"

Serena felt a sudden blast of freezing cold as they left the cover of the base. The snow storm was growing stronger, and she could feel her cheeks freezing up already even though most of her face was covered by protective goggles. She now understood why the deck officer thought it was too dangerous to exit the base at this time. It was even colder than it was earlier. She'd been out on patrols before, but never at this time. The storms were bad earlier, but they were nothing compared to this.

She could barely hear Han shout, "We weren't too far from the base when he went missing. Follow me."

She obediently remained close by her brother, already shaking from the cold. Her worry for Luke increased significantly. If he was lost out here, there was a very small chance they would find him. Her stomach clenched at the thought. They _would_ find Luke. They had to. She had this nagging feelings she somehow knew where he was, but ignored it. It wasn't possible for her to know that. She knew Han had a better shot than she did of finding Luke, at least for the moment. He knew where Luke was last. If Luke wasn't in that area, then she'd tell him, though she doubted he would believe her.

Han continued to lead, occasionally stopping to scan the area. Every time she looked at him, she saw how worried he was, though he tried to mask it. They weren't speaking partially due to it being difficult to hear over the howling wind, and partially because they were still irritated with one another, though they were both trying to put their differences aside and help Luke. They could solve their own problems later.

That nagging feeling from earlier was increasing significantly. She felt like she could almost feel Luke's presence the longer they remained outside of the base. She thought it might be some kind of Force ability, but she doubted Han would believe her. Honestly, she could be imagining it for all she knew. Still, the feeling was growing with intensity as they continued moving closer to Luke. So far, Han hadn't altered his course, so she decided to keep it to herself. If he changed directions, she'd tell him about it, though she dreaded to think of what he'd say when she told him she thought she could sense Luke.

"It's damn near impossible to track the kid in this weather. The storm'll hide his tracks in a minute and I don't think we're close." Han shouted over the wind once more.

She bit her lip, and decided Luke's safety was more important than her brother's opinion of her abilities, "I think I know where he is."

He looked at her skeptically, "Right. Let's just keep moving."

"Han!" She called out, and he paused to glance back at her, "You've got to listen to me. I think I can find Luke."

"If this is about the 'Force'—"

"So what if it is! It's not like we'll find him any other way. I don't even know if I'm sensing him at all, but it's the best chance we have!"

Han looked at his little sister, seeing her determination and concern for Luke. He knew that _she_ believed in what she was telling him, but he didn't know if he wanted to risk Luke's well-being on a feeling she had. Still, he didn't know of any other way to find the kid, and they had to find him fast in this weather or there wouldn't be anyone to save.

Serena seemed urgent to know his answer, and he didn't quite know what to say. In the end, he decided it would be best to at least give her a chance, because he'd run out of ideas, "Fine, sis, but I'm trustin' you to find the kid."

She nodded, "I know I can." _I just don't know if we'll find him in time._ The unbidden thought came quickly and she felt her heart clench at the thought. Despite her worrying thoughts, she started moving her Tauntaun though the blizzard, with her brother not far behind.

She felt the creature struggle to move through the wind, and wondered if it would last long enough to return them back to the base safely. She doubted hers would, and even if Han's survived the trip, there was no way it would be able to carry the three of them. She figured they would figure it out. They always did.

"He's not far." She shouted above the roaring wind once again. Her face was feeling numb from the cold, but she was adjusting to the frigid temperatures, if only slightly.

It wasn't long after her comment that she felt her Tauntaun give in to the cold. The creature struggled to stay on its feet, but trembled severely. She couldn't hold in a gasp as the Tauntaun finally collapsed, taking her down with it. Han was quickly by her side, and jumped off his Tauntaun to help her on her feet.

"Thanks." She muttered, and glanced at her Tauntaun. They'd both have to ride on Han's now, and his didn't look like it was faring much better. Still, they weren't far from Luke, and she hoped it would at least live long enough to help them find him.

"Come on, sis, we gotta get movin'." Han said, jumping on his Tauntaun. Serena followed, and accepted her brother's help as he helped her settle onto the Tauntaun. He quickly moved, and they both noticed how much slower the creature traveled when it was weighed down by two riders. She felt a little guilty about bringing the Tauntauns, but they didn't really have a choice.

"Keep going straight. We're almost there." She said, and Han listened, urging his Tauntaun to move faster. The beast struggled but managed to increase its pace slightly.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Han muttered, not intending Serena to hear. She did, however, and felt her worry for Luke return in full force. He _had _to be alive. She didn't know what she would do if he wasn't.

"Wait—Han look!" She gasped, pointing to a figure lying prone in the snow, "That has to be him!"

Han wasted no time in moving the Tauntaun closer to the figure. Sure enough, it was Luke. She could tell from this distance. She jumped off of the Tauntaun quickly, running towards him. She collapsed to her knees right next to him, and heard him mumbling something about Ben. She wrapped her arms around him, both to reassure herself that he was alive and to attempt to keep him warm. She could tell he was freezing. His lips were blue, and it looked like something had attacked him.

"Stay with me, farm boy. I can't lose you now," She whispered to Luke. She increased her volume and called over her brother, "Han! He needs help!"

Han quickly made his way over, quickly moving towards the unconscious Commander, "Luke! Luke, don't do this! Come on, give me a sign here."

Luke didn't respond, so Han began to slap his face in an attempt to wake him to no avail. Han lifted Luke, "We gotta get him outta the cold at least."

"The Tauntaun!" She shouted, and pointed over to the creature. It was trembling much like hers had earlier. The beast moaned pitifully before letting out a groan and collapsing to the ground.

Han shook his head, looking increasingly desperate, "Not much time now." He continued carrying Luke to the dead Tauntaun, and Serena was puzzled. What was he doing?

"Han, there's no way we're gonna get him back before he—" She froze, she couldn't finish the thought.

"I know. I've got an idea." He searched Luke's body and found what he'd been looking for. The kid's lightsaber was lighter than Han imagined. He ignited it somewhat clumsily and sliced the beast from its head to toe. Serena winced at the horrible smell, and Han did the same.

Luke didn't react; he just continued muttering about "Dagobah."

"This may smell bad, kid, but it'll help keep you warm till we get the shelter built."

Serena almost gagged at the smell, but helped Han get Luke inside the Tauntaun, "Despite the smell, I think you just saved Luke's life."

Han ignored her praise, and as they finally got Luke inside, he muttered, "And I thought these things smelled bad on the outside!"

As soon as Luke was inside the carcass, Serena shouted, "Han, come on! We've got to set up a shelter!"

He nodded and grabbed the pack on the Tauntaun's back, "We've got one shelter container here. Let's get started."

Serena followed him, and together they began to build a pitiful shelter for protection against the bitter cold of Hoth.

* * *

As soon as the shelter was set up, Han and Serena quickly rushed to Luke. They once more winced at the smell, but quickly removed the Commander from the carcass and dragged him into their shelter. It was warmer than it was outside and it at least protected them from the wind, but it was still cold and they all had to huddle under one blanket to keep warm. Luke was still as cold as ice, Serena noticed as she rested her cheek next to his. She held him close, determined to help him survive. His lips were returning to a normal shade, but he still didn't look very good.

She grabbed his hand, and squeezed it, "Luke, if you can hear me, please don't die. Please."

She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was slower than normal. She just hoped he would last the night. She knew help would come as soon as they were able to leave the base. Leia and Chewie would ensure someone would come for them.

She glanced at Han. He was quietly lying on the other side of the tent, not paying attention to them. She found herself wanting to talk to her brother, to have him reassure her, but she didn't know what to say. She decided to go for it anyway.

"Han?" She questioned hesitantly. Now that they no longer had to work together, an uneasy silence settled over the two siblings.

"Yeah?" He asked shortly, still not looking at her.

"Are we alright?" She almost whispered, but she knew he could hear her. She desperately wanted to make things right with her brother. They rarely ever fought, and she hated every second of it.

"Sure. The shelter seems fine."

"You know that's not what I meant."

There was a long pause, and Serena felt herself deflate the longer the question remained unanswered, but Han eventually answered, smirking slightly, "I can't stay mad at my little sis for long."

She beamed, "Of course you can't. I just have that effect on people."

"Don't get cocky. I'm still not stayin'."

Her happiness faded to be replaced with annoyance. Sure, she wasn't quite as furious with her brother, but that comment still managed to anger her, "Why?"

Han sighed, but figured if he told her, she might understand, "Look, remember back on Ord Mantell, when those bounty hunters almost caught us?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Jabba's never gonna stop sending them after us. I gotta pay him off to keep you safe."

Serena frowned. She hadn't thought about it like that. She'd just assumed he was tired of being in the rebellion and decided to move on and leave everything they'd worked for behind. This time when the thought about her previous feelings, she felt guilty for assuming the worst of her brother. He was always looking out for her, and she should have known that.

"Han," She began, "I didn't know." She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

He looked uncomfortable. He didn't usually like to talk about things like this, so he just shrugged.

She just looked at her brother in awe. Serena was ashamed of her previous thoughts and made a decision. She left Luke's side and moved over to her brother, practically jumping on him and wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly, "Thanks, big brother. I'm sorry." She felt the tears welling up, finally giving in to the stress of the day and accepting that her brother wouldn't be staying with her for much longer. She still wouldn't leave with him. She couldn't, but she was accepting that he was doing what he thought was right.

Han was stunned, but awkwardly returned the hug. They rarely hugged, because Han wasn't the biggest fan of them, but he allowed his little sister to hug him like she used to when they were younger. He could feel her crying softly, but he just remained silent and patted her back, comforting her as she finally accepted her big brother wouldn't be with her anymore, "It's okay, sis."

They remained that way for a few more moments, while the frigid wind whipped around the tent, and the blizzard increased its intensity outside their makeshift shelter.

* * *

_Waaah, cute sibling moment. Sorry guys, I wanted to give you cute Luke/Serena moments, but seeing as he's unconscious in this chapter, I couldn't really do much, and Han and Serena had to make up some time, right? I hope Han wasn't out of character. I will rarely do this for them, but seeing as what's in store for Han in the future, I had to give the siblings a little moment. I hope you guys enjoyed! Leave me a review if you did, they help out a lot! :)_


	4. The Attack

_Yay! The next chapter of Destiny's Pawn is here! Thanks to everyone who is following this story! I appreciate it! :) This one is doing better than the previous fanfic, so thank you all! _

_By the way, sorry in advance for all the time jumps, but there wouldn't be much happening if I didn't include them! Hope they don't throw you off too much! :P_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I only wish I did. However, I do own my OC(s), so please don't' steal them._

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Attack**

Morning came quickly and Serena woke with her head resting on her brother's shoulder. She didn't remember what happened after she broke down and Han comforted her. She must've passed out after. The girl shook her head, inwardly scolding herself for losing it on Han like that. She knew he wasn't comfortable with tears, and always tried to spare him that. Still, she couldn't deny she felt a lot better after crying—almost like there was a weight lifted from her shoulders.

However, that peaceful feeling immediately was crushed as she glanced down to Luke. He was doing a lot better compared to when they found him lying unconscious in the snow, but from what she could tell, it didn't look like he had woken up yet, either. Seeing him like that bothered Serena. Luke had always been strong and brave. He never got himself into situations like this, because he was always smart about how he planned his missions. And to think, this wasn't even his required patrol, so if he declined it, he wouldn't be in this mess. She should have insisted he stayed with her. He might have been angry with her, but it was better than seeing him like this—sick and freezing, while Serena and Han had no idea if he was actually alright.

She placed her hand on Luke's forehead. He was feverish, but he felt much less hot than he had last night. He was no longer mumbling to himself about 'Dagobah' or 'Ben'.

_Come on, farm boy. I know you're tough. Just hold on a little longer. Leia'll send patrols out soon._ She thought desperately. She knew it would only be a matter of time until some Rebel contacted Han on his communicator.

At the thought of Han, Serena heard her brother start to wake up. The smuggler looked around groggily, before instantly becoming aware of their situation. He moved over to Serena and asked, "How's the kid doin'?"

"Better, but only barely. We need to get him back to the base."

"You're tellin' me."

Neither of the Solo's mentioned what happened last night, content to leave it unsaid. Serena was relieved, though not surprised, that Han decided to just pretend it didn't happen. She was somehow alright with that, knowing her brother meant no offense by it. It was just his way.

"Do we have any more blankets in the kit?" She asked after a moment's pause.

"No. I made sure to give the kid all of 'em. That's all we got." As he spoke, Han glanced at his sister in concern. She had dark circles under her eyes, showing her concern and exhaustion. He hoped she would at least try to relax while the waited. They couldn't do anything more for Luke at the moment, "Sis, take a break. The kid'll be fine. Lie next to him if you wanna help keep him warm."

Serena attempted to smile at her brother's last comment, and she did manage a small one, but it faded quickly. She listened to Han and actually rested her head next to Luke's, hoping her body heat would keep him warmer. This was what she had planned to do last night, but instead she'd passed out on her brother's shoulder.

The Solo's were silent as they waited for help to arrive.

* * *

It had been a few hours. His sister had dozed off next to the kid and Han was left alone. He had to stay awake to listen for any attempts made by Rebel scouts to contact them. Han was cold and getting more exhausted by the minute—the cold temperatures were draining his energy quickly, even while he was in their makeshift shelter.

Just then, he heard a voice, "_This is Rogue Two, this is Rogue Two. Captain Solo, do you copy? Lieutenant Solo, do you copy? Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two—_"

It sounded like the pilot had been saying this for awhile, and Han wasted no time in responding, with his usual snarky attitude, "Good mornin'. Nice of you guys to drop by."

He could hear the smile in the man's voice as he said, "_Echo Base…this is Rogue Two. I found them. Repeat, I found them!"_

Han rushed over to Serena, quickly shaking her awake. She groaned and pushed his hands off of her arm. The smuggler sighed and spoke, hoping that would get her to move, "Come on, sis. They found us! We gotta get ready to move!"

This woke her up, and she quickly jumped out from under the covers. She ran out of their shelter with Han only to be hit with the freezing temperatures of Hoth, though she had to admit it wasn't as cold as it had been earlier.

They only had to wait for a few moments before they caught sight of the snowspeeder rapidly making its way towards them. Han waved to get the pilot's attention and the man quickly made his way over, hopping out the second it was safe for him to.

"Where's Commander Skywalker?" The pilot, now recognized as the Rogue pilot Zev, questioned frantically.

"Here, follow me!" Serena rushed over inside their shelter and showed Zev where Luke was. Zev instantly lost his excitement at finding the three of them and she saw he grew concerned about his Commander's well-being.

"Quick. Captain Solo, help me carry Commander Skywalker to the snowspeeder."

Han obliged, and together they carried Luke into the snowspeeder, making sure he was comfortable. Serena climbed in next, sitting next to Luke, and Han after her, squeezing himself in last. Zev jumped into the pilot's seat and quickly started up the speeder, heading back to the base as quickly as he could, "Do you know what happened to the commander?"

Han sighed, looking frustrated, "No. We just found him lyin' in the snow. It looks like somethin' attacked him." The smuggler guessed, glancing at the scratches on the kid's face.

"Well, we'll get him back safely." After that last comment, Zev immediately contacted the Base, informing them that Luke would need immediate medical attention when they returned.

"I hope so." Serena added, grabbing Luke's hand and squeezing it gently, hoping to reassure him, even though she knew he wouldn't be able to feel it.

* * *

When the speeder finally landed, it was swarmed with Rebel doctors who gave Serena and Han no time to think or react to their presence. They immediately grabbed Luke and carried him off to be placed in a bacta tank. Serena was grateful that they were so serious about helping him. Once Luke was in the bacta, it would hopefully help him recover fully.

She began moving to follow the doctors, but Han placed a Han on her shoulder, gently stopping her.

"What are you doing?" She angrily questioned, turning to look her older brother in the eyes.

"Sis, I know you're worried about the kid—I am too—but he'll be out for a few hours, so we should take the time to recover a little."

She relaxed. Han was right, and even though she wanted to wait for Luke to recover, she'd just be spending hours worrying and not doing anything productive. Serena sighed, and nodded, not saying anything. The extent of her exhaustion hit her and she just wanted to rest her head somewhere warm. The hostile Hoth conditions had drained the Solo's of energy, but just as they were about to recover, they heard Leia's voice calling out to them, "I'm so glad to see you're both alright! Where's Luke? I heard on the transmission that he needed medical attention."

"They took him to prep for placement in a bacta tank. I think he'll be alright." Han responded, while Leia hugged the both of them. Chewie, finally making his presence known, grabbed both the smugglers in a hug, crushing them to him.

Serena hugged Chewie back, even though his grip was a little too strong, "We're okay, Chewie."

"Yeah, furball, we're alright. Now put me down." Han retorted, though he had a smirk on his face.

The wookiee obliged after a moment longer. Suddenly, he looked at the Solo's with a stern expression in his stance, "_Do not ever leave without me again._"

Serena smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it, Chewie."

Leia smiled, as well, more relieved than she'd been all night. Unlike Serena and Han, she and Chewbacca hadn't slept at all last night. They were both too worried to sleep. Leia just remained by the consol, hoping she would hear from one of them. She hadn't been the one to make contact, but she still felt elated when Zev sent word back that he found them and they were all safe and alive.

Serena noticed the dark circles under Leia's eyes, and that she just looked exhausted. She didn't really seem to be worried about herself very much, but it looked like the Princess hadn't slept much last night. Not that Serena could blame her. She wouldn't be able to sleep either if she'd been in Leia's place.

"Leia, you look exhausted." She said with concern.

Han glanced at Chewbacca. He didn't seem to have much energy, as well, "Same with you, fur ball. Come on, let's get some sleep."

Leia shook her head, "No, I can't sleep now. I have to help run the Rebellion, and I want to be here when Luke wakes up."

"Leia, it'll take a few hours for Luke to wake up, at least. We all need sleep, but you and Chewie need it the most. Take some time off. I don't think they'll mind."

Leia looked like the wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth shut. In all honesty, she _was_ exhausted and knew sleep would help her recover. She finally sighed but followed Serena towards their rooms. Both girls fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Approximately four hours later, Serena was woken up by Leia who was shouting something about, "He's awake!" It took Serena a moment to register the information. Who's awake? What happened exactly?

Leia rolled her eyes. Serena was still disoriented a bit, so Leia grabbed her arm and lifted her up from the bed, "Luke's awake! Come on!"

Serena's eyes suddenly opened, her tiredness fading when she finally realized what was happening. Her smile came instantly, "What are we waiting for? Let's move!"

The two Rebels ran through the halls quickly, not stopping for anything. They'd almost run into a few people on their way, but that didn't slow them down. It didn't take them long to find the recovery room, and slip inside.

They were welcomed by a tired-looking Luke and a smug Han.

"Well, your Worship, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer."

Leia looked at him haughtily, not amused by his smug attitude, "I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous—"

Serena tuned them out, focused on the very much alive Rebel Commander in front of her. She smiled and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him, "I was so worried."

He was startled by the hug, but returned it easily, "I'm alright."

She backed away to look him in the eyes, "Don't do that again." She just held him for a few moments, relieved beyond words that he was alright.

Luke was ready to respond when he heard Han respond to Leia, totally ignoring the couple, "That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."

Serena and Luke glanced at each other, rolling their eyes. _Here they go again._

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." Leia crossed her arms.

Chewie was amused by Leia's comment, and snorted a bit. Han turned at his best friend in slight irritation, but his smugness returned quickly, "You didn't see us along in the South Passage."

Serena and Luke were listening with interest, wondering where Han was going with this. Neither of them had been present for that argument, and were interested in what he was about to say.

Han put his arm around Leia, still looking a smug as ever, "She expressed her true feelings about me."

Serena laughed, "Right." She said skeptically. _They're both to stubborn to admit their feelings that easily_.

Leia wasn't so amused. In fact, she stuttered a bit, unsure of what to say, "Why you half-witted…scruffy-looking, nerf-herder!"

Han pretended to be offended, though he seemed to be enjoying himself, "Who's scruffy lookin'?" He addressed Luke, who seemed slightly amused by the exchange, "I must've hit her pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that."

Leia looked at Han for a moment differently than she usually did. Her irritation faded somewhat, as if she was considering what he said. However, that reaction only lasted for a moment before she glared, glanced at Luke for a moment, shook her head and stormed off, shouting, "I hope you feel better Luke!"

The remaining friends just glanced at each other in shock, except for Han, who looked frustrated, "She's so—"

"Cute when she's angry?" Serena couldn't help but cut in, and she saw Luke crack a small smile at the comment, while Chewie just snorted again.

Han glared at her, "Not funny, sis."

There might have been more conversation if the alarms hadn't suddenly gone off, causing all of them to jump.

Han and Chewie quickly jumped into action. Before leaving, Han spoke to Luke one more time, "Take it easy, kid!"

"Wait a second!" Serena called as they left the room, leaving her and Luke alone for a moment. She looked at him sadly, "I really want to stay, but I should see what's going on. Leia might need help and—"

"It's okay, Serena. Be careful." He ordered very seriously.

She leaned in and kissed him, quickly but forcefully, "You too."

She left the room, and with one last glance at Luke, Serena found herself racing back to the control room, hoping to catch up to her brother and Chewie, and find Leia to help her out.

The Lieutenant found them all in the control room, looking nervous as they spoke with General Rieekan. She rushed over to the group, and though she missed a portion of the conversation, listened to what the General had to say.

"Send Rogues Ten and Eleven to station three-eight."

"What's going on?" She cut in, before they would all disperse.

"We've picked up something outside the base. It could be a threat."

Serena frowned, "How did they find us?"

"We've gotten too comfortable here. Clearly, we should've left a long time ago. I think it's time to leave this base." The General ordered. Serena couldn't help but agree. She wasn't a huge fan of this planet, and the idea of moving seemed like a good one. Hopefully, the Rebels picked a warmer location this time.

Han and Chewie both decided to leave and check out the signal. Before they left, Han turned to Serena, "Sis, be careful."

"You too, big brother. Chewie, don't let him do anything stupid."

The wookiee nodded, laughing as only a wookiee could.

"You be careful too, big guy."

With that, the two best friends walked off together to prepare to investigate the disruption outside the base.

Threepio and Artoo were also in the room, attempting to translate the transmission. The fact that neither of the droids were able to understand what was being said indicated that the transmission was not Alliance. Serena swore softly. This was a terrible time for the Imperials to find them. They weren't even prepared to retreat.

"Captain Solo and Chewbacca are out there right now. We'll just have to wait and hope we're wrong." Leia informed the General and Serena, who were both standing behind her praying that whatever was out there wasn't an Imperial.

The long moment the three had to wait was suddenly cut short when they heard Han speak, "_Afraid there's not much left."_

"What _was _it?" Leia responded, already knowing it wasn't going to be good.

"_Droid of some kind. I didn't hit it that hard. It must've had a self-destruct."_

Leia's eyes widened, obviously knowing what kind of droid Han was talking about, "An Imperial probe droid."

"_It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here_."

"We'd better start the evacuation." Rieekan responded, instantly running over to the terminal and setting the evacuation alarms. Every Rebel was taught to recognize that this alarm meant to retreat, and Serena could hear the sudden commotion as the Rebels prepared their ships and gathered their supplies.

The Empire had already started to attack them. Serena couldn't help but be impressed by their efficiency, even though they were her enemy.

Serena glanced at the holo camera placed near one of the entrances to the base. Her eyes widened, and she could feel the adrenaline pumping when she announced, "There's stormtroopers lined up at this entrance! They're already breaking in!"

* * *

Han was frantically attempting to repair the _Falcon_. This was a hell of a time for the Imperials to attack. He and Chewie were skilled with repairs, but even they didn't know if they'd be able to finish before the Imperials entered the base.

"Damn it!" Han shouted in frustration as he struggled to fix a broken wire on top of the _Falcon_, "Look, Chewie. We're not gonna be able to fix everything but let's see if she'll work."

Chewie growled in affirmation and moved in the ship. They both turned on their com-links and Han spoke to the wookiee, "You ready?"

Chewie growled, "_Yes._"

"Okay, that's it. Try it…" His excitement quickly faded as the _Millennium Falcon_ began smoking and a minor explosion shook the ship, "Off! Turn it off! Turn it off!" He panicked. If something happened to his ship, Han would be seriously angry. He _wouldn't_ leave the _Falcon_ here for the Imperials to confiscate. He wouldn't.

"The right lifter's busted! We gotta fix that! Get outta there, Chewie, and help me out!"

The wookiee grumbled, knowing Han would only get more agitated the longer he had to repair his ship. Chewie climbed out, and saw Luke making his way towards them. The Commander looked a bit nervous as he made his way over to the smugglers.

Chewbacca looked at Luke questioningly, knowing Luke was coming over to say something important, possibly to wish them a safe trip.

As Luke neared the wookiee, he glanced up at Han, who had grabbed a repair droid and was shouting at it needlessly to fix his ship. The former farm boy smiled at Han, knowing the smuggler well enough to know that anything that got in the way of him and his ship would pay.

He returned his attention to Chewbacca, the wookiee looking questioningly at him. He smiled softly, "Chewie, take care of yourself, okay?"

The wookiee grunted, looking a bit upset. Still, that wasn't what caught Luke by surprise. He was suddenly grabbed in a fierce bear-hug, the wookiee squeezing him tightly. Luke returned the hug, knowing he would miss the wookiee when they were gone.

He returned his attention to Han, who just noticed Luke's presence, "Hi kid." Suddenly, the repair droid seemed to anger the smuggler severely, "There's gotta be a reason for it! Check it at the other end! Wait a second," He noticed Luke's somewhat nervous posture, "You all right?"

"Yeah."

"Be careful." The smuggler ordered, looking at Luke seriously. Han was very perceptive, and knew what Luke was planning to do.

"You too." He smiled at the smuggler. He would miss Han's snarky attitude and smart comments. He really was a good friend when you got past his rough exterior. He wished the best for the both of them.

As Luke was walking off, he suddenly stopped and turned around, "Make sure to tell Serena goodbye."

Han smirked, "'Course I will, kid. Now quit worryin' about us and get movin'."

Luke nodded and smiled at the smuggler one last time before heading into his snowspeeder, ready to hold off the Imperials until the others could escape.

* * *

_Sooo, I know this chapter was a little slow, but it had to be written, and it was getting kind of long (8 full pages on Word!) so I figured I should cut the next part for the next chapter, which I hope will be much better! :)_

_ If you enjoyed it, why not leave a review? They help a lot! Thanks for reading! :)_


	5. Fleeing the Rebel Base

_Sorry this chapter's so late! I've been really busy and have been using all of my free time to write and edit this chapter, but I was never completely happy with it. I figured it's as good as it'll get, so I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading! :)_

**Chapter 5: Fleeing the Rebel Base**

* * *

Alarms blared, seeming to become more demanding and insistent each time they sounded off. Rebel troops reacted instantly, scrambling either to fight back against the Empire or to escape on a transport ship before the base was destroyed. A small number of Rebels remained behind, determined to defend their fleeing comrades. These few were frantically attempting to keep the Rebels organized and heading out in their fighter ships to hold off the Empire from entering the base. Leia observed the commotion and took a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves.

_We've gotten way to comfortable here. We should've left a long time ago._ The Princess inwardly scolded herself, as she watched the Rebels moving in a daze. She usually was the one to insist they move frequently, but she thought that maybe this place was different. After all, no one else dared settle on the hostile ice planet. Still, she had to admit, she should have anticipated Vader eventually discovering the planet they settled on. While she hated to admit it, Lord Vader was intelligent. Leia had no doubt that he was the one to locate the base.

She clenched her fists, irritated that despite every attempt to keep this base a secret, Vader _still_ managed to discover the base. She couldn't help but wonder if this discovery was due to the recent bounties put out for Luke. The Empire was offering extremely generous amounts of money to anyone who captured the boy, and Lord Vader had taken a personal interest in searching for him. There were bounties on the others, of course, but none of them were nearly as large as Luke's. She wondered why—

"Leia!"

Her head snapped up from her work, and she glanced to the right. She saw Serena frantically running towards her. Serena looked anxious—Leia could see that by the look in her eyes, and her frantic attitude. Clearly, the girl wasn't quite as confident in this situation as Leia was. It was understandable. Leia had dealt with situations like this before, while Serena never had to command anyone before in a battle. She'd been promoted to Lieutenant during a relatively peaceful time for the Rebellion. Still, Leia had faith in Serena, and knew she would do everything in her power to help.

Serena stopped in front of the princess, clearly exhausted and out of breath. Leia saw General Rieekan beside her. The General spoke, "Mon Mothma is safe. She's about to leave as we speak."

"Good." She quickly returned to the terminal. She'd been adjusting security protocols, hoping to slow down any invading forces entering the base.

"Should we go with them?" Serena asked, looking uncertain, as if she was torn about her decision. Clearly, some part of her wanted to stay and fight, but Leia could clearly see how nervous she looked.

"I can't leave just yet. I have to finish this!" Leia stated with a determined look in her eyes, "But I won't make you stay here. I won't be able to leave until the very end of this battle."

"If you're not leaving, then I'm not either!" Serena smiled at her friend. Leia simply nodded, grateful to have someone by her side.

"I will stay, as well." The General agreed. He quickly moved towards some of the Rebels still in the room, helping them organize, and prepare the evacuation.

Serena stood by Leia awkwardly, looking uncertain.

"If you're going to stay, you can help me with this." Leia ordered, noticing Serena's uncertainty.

Serena nodded, and began working at the empty terminal next to Leia. The princess seemed completely devoted to her work, and Serena attempted to figure out the best way to provide the most defense. Unfortunately, the base was more designed on keeping the Rebels from freezing to death instead of defense. The Rebellion couldn't afford to do both, and keeping the cold out was more necessary at the time. There were only a handful of things the two girls could do to help. Regardless, she knew Leia would want every possible advantage, so she continued to work diligently.

She thought of Luke—Serena wanted to see him, and make sure he was alright, but she couldn't just leave now. Besides, he could have already left with the others. He was still recovering somewhat from his injuries. Still, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Luke was still here, and something told her he wasn't just waiting to evacuate. He wasn't the type.

_It wouldn't surprise me if someone told me that Luke was out there fighting. He's stubborn like_ that. She frowned at the thought, unhappy that he would risk his life so soon after almost losing it.

_ Luke, I hope you're alright._ She thought, but then pushed her fears aside and focused all her attention on increasing the defenses inside the base.

* * *

The two girls had been working for a while, before finally giving up. They had increased the defenses to the best of their ability, and the control room seemed quite empty now after the time they spent on the terminals.

General Rieekan approached them as he noticed they finished. He turned to them and requested their help in organizing the few groups of pilots they had left. Serena and Leia immediately moved to assist him. It was easy enough to help the pilots find their ships, and to tell them what they were required to do. Serena felt guilty ordering these men to go and fight, while she remained relatively safe in the base, but she knew she was needed here more than out these. Besides, her horrible flying would hardly be helpful out there. She'd be more likely to accidentally hit another ships, and she doubted anyone would want that.

After a short while, Serena heard a familiar voice, "Mistress Serena, Princess Leia, it is good to see you're both alright."

Serena turned, "Threepio? What are you doing here?"

"Master Luke has left to join the battle, and Artoo left to retrieve him. I was left alone."

_So Luke did join the battle. I hope he's alright_. She nodded, "Well, I'm glad to see you're alright. What about Han and Chewie? Have you seen them?"

"Indeed. They were still attempting to repair the _Millennium Falcon_, from what I understand."

She let out a relieved sigh. Everyone important to her was still alive and well, as far as Threepio knew. She hoped they would remain so for the duration of the battle.

As she moved away from the golden droid, however, she heard a loud explosion and watched as a part of the ceiling caved in. The whole room seemed to shake, and she stabilized herself on Threepio, who seemed to not feel the effects. However, he was still panicking. She ignored his protests, and moved towards Leia and General Rieekan. They both seemed stunned, but alright. The ceiling had caved in far away and even though it damaged some of the equipment, it hardly mattered now that they were fleeing.

"General, with all due respect, I think it would be best for you to evacuate now." Leia said simply, but with a tone of authority she only could have perfected as royalty. The explosion had not harmed anyone severely, but she noticed how nervous many of the recruits remaining looked. She doubted they would even be helpful in the state they were in. Besides, there wasn't much left to do.

The General considered Leia's request for a moment, before finally nodding slowly, "I think you may be right, Princess. Although I believe you both should do the same."

"There will still be men in here who need my help, General. If we lose you, this wouldn't be worth it. We'll stay here and make sure all these men escape, as well. Don't worry about us." Leia said confidently, though she certainly didn't feel so.

Serena nodded, supportive of Leia's choice, though she couldn't help but feel anxious of the Princess' choice. She hoped it was the right one.

Finally, the General conceded, "I suppose you're right." As he was about to leave, he turned back, "I expect to see the both of you on the evacuation ships soon, though."

Serena smiled, "Yes, sir."

He nodded, and left the room, followed by a great majority of the remaining Rebels in the room. He left Serena and Leia a small force to continue directing the troops outside and maintain the defenses.

Threepio looked around nervously, "We _will_ be leaving soon, correct?"

Serena didn't answer his question, not knowing the answer herself. They would leave when there was nothing they could do to fight back anymore.

* * *

Han raced through the empty corridors, glancing for any sign of his sister or the princess. He knew they were both too damn stubborn to leave the base, even when there was nothing left to do. When he contacted the transports to make sure they were alright, he'd been informed they had not yet arrived. Even though he knew he should be leaving soon, he couldn't get them out of his mind and decided to go looking for them before they got into trouble.

He dodged a wave of steam coming from a broken pipe, and continued down the hallway. He could see that they were losing power quickly, as the lights occasionally dimmed and flickered. The smuggler could hear laser blasts coming from different directions, and knew that the Empire was gaining ground in the base quickly, so he made his way to the command center, knowing that was where Leia would be, at least.

He entered the room just as another explosion hit, causing the passage way to almost collapse. The walls cracked, and more pipes fell loose and vented steam into the room. It was getting more dangerous here by the minute, and he suddenly felt more determined than ever to ensure the two girls were safe. He quickly moved away from the unstable doorway, and relaxed significantly as he saw both his sister, the princess, and Threepio all speaking. He made his way over to them, determined to get them out of here and into safety.

Leia was looking at a control board, but Serena immediately noticed him.

"Han!" She called out, running over to him and hugging him tightly. She was so relieved to see he was safe and unharmed. Han quickly hugged his little sister back, glad to see she was alright as well.

"You alright?" He asked all of them, noticing how anxious they both looked.

Leia seemed surprised to see him, but she nodded before asking, "Why are you still here?"

Han rolled his eyes. Clearly, she thought he'd just take off and leave them in danger. He was slightly offended, "I heard the command center had been hit."

Serena smiled, happy to know Han cared enough about the both of them to personally make sure they were safe.

"You got your clearance to leave." Leia said, seeming slightly stunned that he was still here. She expected him to be long gone by now.

Han deflated slightly at seeing how little Leia thought of him at the moment, but he continued to retain his cocky attitude, "Don't worry, I'll leave. But first I'm gonna get you both to your ship."

Threepio eagerly agreed with Han, "Your Highness, Mistress Serena, you must go with him. It's our only hope."

Serena nodded, showing she was happy to go with him. Leia, on the other hand, seemed slightly reluctant, but eventually gave in. She turned to the head controller, who was diligently working to defend the base, "Send all troops insSector twelve to the south slops to protect the fighters!"

After her order, another blast shook the room.

Han was getting impatient, "Come on. We gotta get out of here!"

Serena looked nervous. She heard the voice over the intercom announce that the Imperials had entered the building, "Listen to him, Leia."

Leia made one final order, "Give the evacuation signal for all remaining troops, and get to your transports!" She looked exhausted, but she didn't even have a moment to rest before Han grabbed her hand and led them all out of the room.

Han ran as quickly as he could, forcing Serena and Leia to run at a sprint through the hallways. Threepio continuously called for them to wait, but Han ignored the droid, focused on keeping the two girls safe.

Threepio was far behind, as they continued to race through the corridors. Han finally released both the girl's hands, and led them through the corridor. Once Serena found out where her brother was taking them, she felt confident enough to run slightly ahead of him, determined to escape the base with her life. She could feel adrenaline pumping more fiercely than ever, when she heard the blasterfire becoming louder with each moment they remained in the base.

After a short while of sprinting through the corridors, an explosion shook the corridor they were traveling through. Serena froze as she watched the ceiling just ahead of her started to crack and give way. She heard Han call out something to her, but she wasn't able to react in time. The walls started to crack, and finally the passage collapsed.

Serena just simply stood there, too stunned to move. She couldn't react in time, and even though she felt Han grab her and pull her back, she felt a severe pain in her leg as one of the supporting beams fell on top of it. She cried out in pain, attempted to free her trapped appendage. However, the beam was heavy and she was unable to free her leg on her own.

Fortunately, Han quickly rushed to help her, lifting the beam with Leia's help. They both looked at her in concern.

"Sis, are you alright?" Han asked, looking very worried about her.

She groaned in pain, "Ugh…I can't move…my leg." It hurt horribly to move it, and she groaned as Han quickly lifted her off the ground.

"We have to get moving." Leia said, nervous that Serena couldn't move it. That wasn't a good sign. Still, Leia could hear the blasterfire getting closer, and knew they would all be in for a lot more pain than a broken leg if they didn't get moving.

With Serena leaning on him for support, Han pulled out his comlink and said, "Transport, this is Solo. Better take off—I can't get to you. I'll take them on the _Falcon_."

Just as Threepio managed to catch up to the trio, Han picked up his sister and ran ahead, with Leia on his heels. Serena was grateful she wouldn't have to walk any further. Her leg felt numb, but she was starting to feel a throbbing sensation slowly building intensity the longer they ran. The Lieutenant had a feeling her leg was broken, and cursed her luck. This was the worst possible time for something like this to happen.

The golden droid turned around, frantically shouting, "But…but…but…where are you going? Come back!"

Just then, Serena felt something dark and powerful entering the base. She didn't know what it was, but she could practically sense the person entering the base. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, attempting to calm herself. She suddenly felt nauseous, and shook her head, attempting to shake off this feeling. The pain in her leg was getting worse, and she winced, focusing on that to ignore the dark sensation. She had to escape, and she was more desperate to do so now more than ever. She wouldn't allow this new threat to harm anyone here, though she didn't know how she could stop them. Clearly, whoever this person was, they were much more powerful than anyone she'd ever encountered before.

Threepio was getting frustrated, "No! Wait—wait for me! Stop!"

The three had gone through the door not long ago, and unintentionally slammed the door in Threepio's face.

"Han, wait! Threepio…" Serena announced, and Han rolled his eyes in frustration before turning around and opening the door.

"Come on!" He ordered the droid, and continued running towards the hangar, where Chewie was waiting.

The wookiee would no doubt be very angry at being forced to wait for so long. Especially while the base was under attack. Still, he knew his best friend was also worried about the two girls, and supported Han's decision to look for them. Hopefully, the _Falcon_ would be able to take off easily enough.

Finally, the smuggler caught sight of the wookiee, who looked extremely relieved to see them all in one piece. He let out a growl of relief, until he saw Serena being carried by Han.

"_What happened?"_ He asked, taking Serena as Han handed her over.

"A corridor collapsed and crushed her leg. She'll be fine. We gotta go!" He explained quickly, and ran up the ramp, hoping to take off before the Imperials discovered the hangar. Both Leia and Chewie followed without hesitation.

As they entered, Chewie took Serena to a small room they used to treat injuries. He gently laid her down on the cot, and made sure she was alright. She looked strangely pale, which seemed strange. A leg injury was surely painful, but he doubted it would be making her nauseous. The wookiee had no time to continue checking on her though, as he heard Han calling out to him.

"Thanks, Chewie." Serena smiled, "I'm alright, now. Go help Han." She still looked pale, but Chewie knew he had to help and quickly ran to the cockpit.

Serena closed her eyes. The evil presence was still close. No matter how much she tried to shake the feeling, she couldn't completely get rid of it. Even when she focused on the now throbbing pain in her leg, she still couldn't manage to completely forget about it. She just hoped Han would get them out of the base soon.

She'd been sitting quietly for a while, and still hadn't felt the ship move. Wondering what was taking so long, she activated her comlink and contacted Leia, knowing that Han would be took busy.

"What's going on?"

"_The ship wasn't completely repaired. Your brother and Chewie are trying to get it running, now."_

Serena's heart started beating faster, pumping with adrenaline from worry, "We _can't_ stay here. We _can't_." She could hear the fear in her voice, and attempted to hide it, but she doubted Leia would be convinced, "Where's Threepio? Is he alright?"

"_He's here, and he's fine. Don't worry. We'll make it_." Serena could tell Leia was attempting to soothe her, but the princess didn't sound so convinced.

However, just as Leia finished her statement, Serena heard the engines suddenly come to life. With hope, she glanced out the small window in her room to see the _Falcon_ moving away from the hangar. She glanced around, but her temporary relief faded once more when she saw Vader stepping into the hangar. The foreboding presence she felt earlier intensified greatly when she finally laid eyes on its source. She closed her eyes and felt the tension leave her body. They had been very close to being captured by Darth Vader, and she knew that would not have been pleasant.

As the _Falcon_ glided over the battle still raging below, she thought of Luke. Was he still in one of those fighter ships? She hoped not, as she watched some of them get destroyed before her very eyes. She looked away from the window, unable to bear the thought of Luke dying like that.

However, despite her fears, she couldn't help but _know_ that Luke was still alive and well. She didn't know how, but that thought reassured her, and she finally relaxed on the cot. While the pain in her leg was getting worse, she was grateful for it in a way, because it distracted her from her fears, at least for a short while.

* * *

_Once again, I apologize for the long wait. I've been way to busy, but things have finally calmed down :). Well, sort of lol. I move into college in about two weeks, and I'll now be busy packing and getting ready. Don't worry—I'll be sure to make time for writing, because we're getting closer and closer to my personal favorite part in this story! :D Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed, why not leave a review? ;)_


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